Call on all political parties,
in particular MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and Sabah BN component parties and
their wanita and youth wings, NGOs and Malaysians to make clear their
rejection of the “fake apologies” of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar for their
sexism and male chauvinism in Parliament last week and demand for their
proper punishment

______________
Media
Conference by Lim Kit Siang
_________________

(Petaling
Jaya, Saturday) : Women, Family and Community
Development Minister, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil yesterday accepted
the apologies of the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, Datuk Mohd Said
Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) for their crude,
derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks in Parliament last week,
saying that it was the “closure” her Ministry wanted.

All Malaysians also want a
“closure” to the 10-day parliamentary scandal and national shame
precipitated by two BN MPs who were guilty of sexual harassment of DAP MP
for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan with their sexist and male-chauvinist remarks,
which also brought shame and dishonour to Parliament, Malaysian women and
the nation’s international reputation.

However, it must be a
honourable closure and not the most shameful and dishonourable closure
orchestrated by Shahrizat yesterday, where both Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar
went through another farce of proferring an apology which on examination was
really no apology at all – a counterfeit coin or a fake apology!

Firstly, both the duo flaunted
their lack of sincerity in wanting to make any apology. They pointedly
refused to offer a personal apology to Po Kuan, even a fake one!

When he returned to Kota
Kinabalu yesterday, Bung Mokhtar said he had been directed by the Prime
Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to apologise to Malaysian women,
conspicuously omitting reference to Po Kuan.

Secondly, there was no remorse
or contrition in making the apology, even to Malaysian women. Both tendered
their apology “if women were offended” – implying that there was nothing
wrong with their remarks but with women if they were offended!

Thirdly, they justified their
sexist and male-chauvinist attacks at Po Kuan on the ground that they were
necessary to defend the government during debates.

Mohd Said said in his prepared
statement that the duo “were only defending Barisan Nasional because the
Opposition had belittled, and intentionally made unfounded, baselss
claims”.

He declared: “In that
situation, it is the responsibility of Barisan representatives and
government supporters to defend the leadership and the Government”.

Fourthly, the above statement
was as good as a declaration that they would have no hesitation in repeating
their crude, derogatory, sexist and gender-offensive remarks in similar
circumstances in future if they deem it necessary to defend the Barisan
Nasional and the Government.

Fifthly, both had lied when
they claimed that they had been “provoked” to make the crude, derogatory,
sexist and gender-offensive attacks on Po Kuan. The video footage of this
disgraceful parliamentary conduct is up on YouTube, Google and many blogs.
On YouTube alone, which received a four-and-a-half star rating, it was
viewed more than 41,700 times.

All can see that when Mohd
Said and Bung Mokhtar made the crude, derogatory, sexist and
gender-offensive remarks, neither Po Kuan nor any DAP MP was out to insult
them or was making “unfounded, baseless claims”, as they were legitimately
trying to raise in the House the scandal of Parliament leaking again after a
RM90 million renovation less than two years ago!

Both Mohd Said and Bung
Mokhtar made the sexist attacks on Po Kuan when there was no provocation –
when totally unprovoked! If both of them could tell such a bare-faced lie
when the video footage is available for all to see, how could anyone believe
in any of their claims and statements?

Sixthly, they had added insult
to injury in humiliating Malaysian women when Mohd Said alleged that “the
incident was manipulated by the opposition who pictured it (the incident)
negatively, and made it look different from what really happened in the
Dewan Rakyat” while Bung Mokhtar said the incident was blown out of
proportion by DAP by highlighting it in the media and dragging along the
women’s organizations in the country.

Here, the duo were not only
justifying their sexist attacks on Po Kuan but have gone one step further in
accusing women organizations of being too gullible and mindless in allowing
themselves to be manipulated by the DAP – another example of the duo’s
contempt for the integrity, commitment and professionalism of women
organizations and women leaders!

For these six reasons, the
fake apologies of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar must be rejected for this is a
most dishonourable closure as both BN MPs have added salt to the wounds of
Po Kuan, Malaysian women, Parliament and the nation’s reputation!

This was why the 1,200 people
who attended the Cheras DAP Dinner in Kuala Lumpur last night unanimously by
show-of-hands rejected the fake apologies of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar.

I call on all political
parties, in particular MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and Sabah BN component
parties and their wanita and youth wings, NGOs and Malaysians to make clear
their rejection of the “fake apologies” of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar for
their sexism and male chauvinism in Parliament last week and to demand for
their proper punishment.

The public forum “Respect
Women’s Dignity Towards a 1st World Parliament” at YMCA Hall,
Kuala Lumpur on Thursday night adopted a five-point penalty for Mohd Said
and Bung Mohtar, viz:

Six-month
suspension as MP.

Six-month
community service with women groups.

Donation
of the their entire parliamentary allowance during suspension to women
groups.

Full
apology to Fong Po Kuan and Malaysian women.

If no
full apology, the six-month suspension and community service to be
extended to 12 months.

I call on all political
parties, in particular MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and Sabah BN component
parties and their wanita and youth wings, NGOs and Malaysians to take a
common stand in a nation-wide campaign to support this five-point punishment
for the two errant BN MPs.